Barça seals the La Liga title against Mbappé, who scores on the ruins of Real Madrid.
It's good to feel fear, to identify it within ourselves, because it's the first step toward confronting it. Those who claim not to suffer from it are lying. Barça felt it, as they demonstrated in a hesitant, imprecise performance, which Madrid took advantage of, since no one plays like Real Madrid in the chasm of doubt. Mbappé twice put a name to the martyrdom of Montjuïc. It wasn't just any name, it was a name that inspires fear. The Frenchman's hat trick , however, no longer provoked the same fear. Everything had changed because of what Umberto Eco said, and that is that nothing gives more value to fear than the fear of others. [Narration and statistics, 4-3]
Barça resorted to that other fear with a colossal effort, their players possessed by a determination they had already displayed against Inter, but Inter is a great team and Madrid is a team that stands on its ruins thanks to its pride. Xabi Alonso is responsible for the reconstruction, because Mbappé's Year 1, despite this fine epilogue from the Frenchman, has been the year of collapse. Hansi Flick has carried out Barcelona's reconstruction in a single season, winning all four Clásicos against their rivals, against whom he scored 16 goals, and lifting the Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, while waiting to secure the La Liga title of the brave, which was sealed at Montjuïc. The brave don't deny fear. They face it.
Brave and youthful, two characteristics embodied by Lamine Yamal . Displaying a display of leadership, personality, and maturity in both matches against Inter, he was once again decisive against Madrid with the equalizer that put Barcelona back in the lead. A precise, well-placed strike, teledirected by a gifted mind and a human foot calibrated like a caliper, the tool of inches. He uses it in goals as well as in passes, horizontal or vertical, always to the right spot.
The Blaugrana needed that appearance after Mbappé's appearances in the opposing box. It's the upcoming duel, in the Clásicos, in next year's World Cup, and even in the Ballon d'Or. For the Frenchman, the Pichichi , who leads the league with his three goals at Montjuïc, only serves to redeem him numerically. The most anticipated year has been a bad one for a bad Madrid, a resounding defeat in the Champions League, whose final PSG will play. Fate always has surprises in store for us, sometimes macabre ones. It's capricious.
Mbappé was awarded a penalty, converted it, and proved deadly on the counterattack, before Barcelona responded. In the third, the scenario had changed, with the Blaugrana ahead on the scoreboard and in the field. That goal, however, served to provide another thriller ending to a derby, with controversial handballs from Tchoauméni and Fermín , and the non-goal every youth player would dream of. Víctor Múñoz , a Catalan in white, missed it.
More couldn't have been asked of Mbappé in a key match. It wasn't always like that. It's not enough to fill the barn with goals, but to know that there are days when its doors must be opened wide. Lamine seems to understand this, even though Inter surpassed his quality with a better collective approach. Barça was wrong that day to point the finger at the referee. They had made themselves big on the pitch, despite the defeat, and made themselves small in the press room or the president's box. Laporta was wise to choose Flick , you can't deny that. Now the best thing is to keep quiet. Against Madrid, Barça made themselves big again, champions. A victory against Espanyol on Thursday would give them the title, regardless of what Madrid does.
The German coach made a decision that sent a message to his team, selecting the same starting eleven as at the Giuseppe Meazza. There was no doubt about the selection, despite the interim status of the full-backs, Eric García and Gerard Martín . The former repeated the script, scoring his side's first goal after conceding two. After his exile in Girona, Eric García has earned a place in this Barça thanks to his versatility and competitiveness. The shot, from point-blank range, arrived in the center-back area, which wasn't enough for Valverde to become another defensive player, alongside Tchouaméni and Asencio . At Montjuïc, it was, as in so many other places, ground zero for Madrid.
Frantic pressureBarcelona's frantic pressure after losing a goal, a symptom that connects this team to the one Guardiola built at Camp Nou, proved unsustainable for Madrid, who couldn't even reach halftime with a draw. This dynamic led to errors, such as those by Ceballos and Mbappé, which left Raphinha in a tight position. A perfect combination with Ferran Torres set up the Brazilian, who extended the lead once again before heading into the locker room.
Ancelotti had opted for a 4-4-2 to insert Güler , the two-faced footballer. At Montjuïc, he once again offered his worst, overwhelmed by the atmosphere and, possibly, by the subjugation of his own team. The Turk is a talent who demands a coach who understands him. We'll see if it's Xabi Alonso. Güler went down at halftime, like Ceballos, to bring on Modric and Brahim . The Croatian always makes the best use of his passing space, facilitated by a Barça side that took a breather. That's always dangerous against Madrid, who again presented Mbappé in front of Sczesny 's goal on the counterattack. The Pole lost that duel to allow the Frenchman a hat trick , but won the next one. A good way to finish after starting with a penalty that he could have handled differently.
Vinicius provided the final pass to Mbappé before going off injured. Nothing else to report on his merits, in a poor and inconsistent year. The calls of Arabia have been like those of the sirens for this Ulysses of the penalty area. Bad business. He needs to return to the beginning, while Mbappé needs this end to be his beginning in a new cycle that should begin at the Club World Cup, if Madrid convinces Xabi Alonso . Barça will not be at the event, although no one wearing Barça today laments it, except for the club's coffers. The splendor is on the grass.
elmundo
